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5 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. ROSTEL. BREEGH LOADING FIREARM.

} Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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0. ROSTEL. BREEGH LOADING FIREARM.

No. 480,627. Patented Aug 9, 1892.

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HOSTEL. BREE OADING FIREARM.

No. 480,627. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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tented Aug. 9, 1892.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

O. HOSTEL. BREEGH LOADING FIREARM.

No. 480,627. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL ROSTEL, OF MAGDEBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GRUSONWERK, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LOADING FIREARM.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,627, dated August 9, 1892.

Application filed May 23, 1889. Serial No. 311,870. (No model.) Patented in Germany November 11, 1888, No. 47,222; in Belgium November 29, 1888, No. 84,117, and in France November 29, 1888, No. 194,420.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL RiisTEL, a sub j ect of the King of Prussia, residing at Magdeburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Firearms, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Belgium, No. 84,117, dated November 29, 1888; in France, No. 194,420, dated November 29, 1888, and in Germany, No. 47,222, dated November 11, 1888,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to breech-loading firearms, and more especially those wherein firing-pins or hammers are employed; and it consists in combining with the breech-block means-such as a projectionopposing the movement of the block and controlled by the percussive device, which will prevent the movement of the block until the gun has been discharged.

In the use of breech-loading firearms serious accidents are sometimes caused by reason of a cartridge hanging fire and exploding after the breech is opened or during the opening thereof.

The main object of the present invention is to obviate the liability to accidents from this cause by preventing the opening of the breech before the cartridge has been discharged. For this purposeI provide the gun with a catch or locking device, which holds the breech-block in its closed position, and for effecting the disengagement of the said catch or locking device I utilize the recoil or backward movement of the detonating cap of a cartridge which takes place when the powder charge thereof is exploded. It has been ascertained by a long series of experiments that this recoil movement is sufficient to permit of its being practically utilized for the purpose above mentioned. Then the detonating cap explodes without firing the powder charge of the cartridge, the said cap, by rea son of the small amount of explosive force thus produced, performs a smaller retrograde movement than it does when the entire charge of the said cartridge is exploded, and it is the difference between these two movements that is utilized for the purpose above mentioned.

In carrying out my invention the locking device, which is controlled by the percussive device, is made to engage directly or indirectly with the breech-lowering mechanism, or it is made to control a bolt engaging in the breech and block, or the locking device itself is carried by the block and engages in the breech or reinforce.

Various forms of mechanism may be employed for carrying out the principles of my present invention, some of which will be hereinafter described wit-h reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line 1 1, Figs. 2 and 5, showing in elevation the inner wall of the breech of a self-cocking gun to which some forms of my present invention are especially adapted. section of the same on the line 2 2, Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the block-lowering crank-arm being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same on the line 3 8, Fig. 2, showing the adaptation of one form of my invention to a self-cocking gun. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4, Figs. 2, 5, and 6, illustrating another form of the invention wherein the locking device indirectly engages the block-lowering crank-arm. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5, showing the parts in the position which they occupy after the charge has exploded. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a form of the invention in which the cocking-lever, which works automatically at the lowering of the breech, is engaged by the firing-pin to prevent movement of the lever and through it the block when the charge has not exploded. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view of a gun in the plane of the firing-pin, illustrating a simplified form of the invention in' which a bolt carried by the block engages in the side of the breech when the firing-pin is not driven back by the explosion. A push-pin is provided in the wall of the breech for forcing back the firing-pin. Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view of a form of the invention in which a rocking lever carried by the block is adapted to engage in and be disengaged from the reinforce when the gun hangs fire and is Fig. 2 is a transverse position.

discharged, respectively. Fig. 10 is a vertical section in the plane of the side of the block, illustrating the adaptation of the invention to a gun employing a firing-hammer. Fig. 11 is a vertical section on the line 11 11, Fig. 13, illustrating a device of modified form. Here the cooking of hammer is effected automatically at the lowering of the breech by ro tating the hammer-shaft, as hereinafter explained. Fig. 12 is asimilar view illustrating another form wherein the firing hammer causes a spring-arm to engage the breech-low ering crank-arm when the charge fails to explode. Fig. 13 is a horizontal section on the line 13 13, Fig. 11, showing the manner of attaching the cooking crank-arm illustrated in Fig. 2 to a firing-hammer. Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 5, wherein a firing-hammer is substituted for a firing-pin.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, Ais the reinforce, and B the breech-block, which slides vertically therein. In order to support and operate the breech-block, a shaft a Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6, 12, and 14, journaled in the side of the reinforce, is provided at its inner end with a crank-arm a, carrying a pin a, which engages in an inclined groove 0. in the breech-block, Fig. 4, while at its outer end said shaft is provided with a controlling-handle a (See Fig. 2.) If the shaft 0. be rotated in the right direction by its handle a the crank-arm a will swing forward, with its pin a, in the inclined groove a of the block, whereupon the block will be allowed to descend. By reversing the movement of the handle the block is returned.

.b is the percussive device, which in Figs. 2 to 9, inclusive, consists of a firing-pin projected by a spiral spring, but in the remaining figures consists of a hammer swung by a spiral spring, as indicated in Fig. 13, or by any suitable means ordinarily used. In order to automatically cock the firing-pin as the breech is lowered, a shaft d, mounted in the breechblock, is provided with a cocking-lever (1, extending upward and entering a slot in the firing-pin 1), Figs. 2, 3, and 7, while a crankarm d Fig. 2, extends upward from the lefthand end of said shaft and has a pin d which engages a slot d Figs. 1 and 2. This slot is formed in the left wall of the breech and inclined slightly to the perpendicular. When the block is lowered, the pin d on the crankarm (1 follows the groove d whereby the crank-arm and cocking-lever are swung to the rear and the firing-pin withdrawn sufficiently far to permit the block c, Fig. 3, to engage the percussive device and retain it in cocked When the breech-block is raised into normal position, as after the cartridge is inserted, the cooking mechanism also returns to normal position, but leaves the percussive device cocked, inasmuch as the cocking-lever works in an elongated slot in said device. In order to automatically cock the firing-hammer, if such be desired, the cooking crank arm d having the pin d which engages in an inclined or cam groove d as described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, may be applied directly to the transverse shaft or boss of the firing-hammer, as hereinafter described with reference to Fig. 13. The firing-pin bis retained in its cocked position by means of a block 6, pressed up by a spring-piston e, and the said block is adapted to engage in front of a collar 1) on the firing-pin to keep said pin in cocked position.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the block e is adapted for engagement by its two shoulders behind the collar 1), as well as in front of it, such engagement behind being only permitted, however, when the pin is in its foremost position and in contact with the detonating cap. When the block is thus engaged behind the collar, the breech-block cannot be lowered, inasmuch as the firing-pin cannot be withdrawn, the cocking-lever d and its rigidly-connected operating crank-arm (1 cannot be moved backward, and the breechblock is locked by engagement of the inclined groove (:1 in the reinforce by the pin 61 on said operating crank-arm and cannot be moved until the block 6 is moved downward. If, however, the powder charge is exploded, the action of the gases thus generated will drive backward the detonating cap and through the said detonating cap the firingpin 1). This action being instantaneous, the collar b of the firing-pin slides over the block or piece e before the piston ecan be released, and when it is released the firing-pin rests out of engagement with the block e. Should the powder charge not explode, the block or piece e engages with the rear side of the collar b of the firing-pin and the gunner will be unable to lower the breech immediately, but will have to pull the triggerf, and thus draw down the rod 6 first. This will notify him of the danger of a possible hang-fire, and he will therefore wait a reasonable time before opening the breech. It is obvious that by these means even during the most rapid firing the hanging fire of a cartridge cannot fail to be noticed, and complete protection is thus insured against accidents due to this cause.

Figs. 11 and 13 illustrate one mode of applying the above-described form of myinvention to a gun having a firing-ham mer which is operated by the reaction of a spring, which is compressed by the automatic cooking of the hammer by a cooking crank-arm attached directly to the transverse rock-shaft or boss and adapted to be moved back at the lowering of the block by the engagement of its pin in a groove in a similar manner to that described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, as will hereinafter appear. The rock-shaft or boss 5 of the hammer b is provided with two recesses or notches I). Should the cartridge hang fire or fail to explode, the head 6 of the rod e,being caused by the spring to engage in the lower recess or notch of the said boss, will prevent the turning of the hammer. Consequently the breech cannot be opened without first pulling the trigger and thus disengaging the head e from the notch in the boss I). If, however, the hammer is thrown back sufficiently by the recoil of the detonating cap to allow the edge of the said recess or notch to pass in front of the head 6' before the trigger can be released by the gunner, the hammer can be cocked and the breech opened, and the head 6, falling into the upper recess or notch in the boss I), will retain the hammer in the cooked position.

In order to provide for the automatic cocking of the hammer b, Fig. 11, a crank-arm d is employed, as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 and shown by dotted lines in Fig. 11.

The firing-hammer is provided with a transverse rock-shaft b and an operating-spring b coiled upon the rock-shaft and having its ends fixed in any suitable manner. The hammer and cooking crank-arm are mounted rotatably upon a common axis b and they are provided with lugs 19 b hearing such relation to each other that the movement of the crankarm to the rear will cook the hammer, While a return of the crank-arm to normal position does not affect the hammer. IVhen the block is lowered, the crank-arm is moved to the rear by the engagement of its pin 61 in the groove (1 and the hammer is moved backward and downward by the crank-arm until the head (2 engages in the upper one of the notches. \Vhen the block is returned to normal position, the crank-arm also returns, but the hammer remains cocked until released by means of the pull-rod or trigger f.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 7 is also based upon the same assumption that the firing pin or hammeris automatically cocked during the opening of the breech. Here the projection opposing the blocks movement is a shoulder e on the lever 61', which cooks the firing-pin. This lever is controlled by the firing-pin through the medium of a horizontal shoulder e on the lever, which engages a corresponding projection 19 formed on said firing-pin and forming the lower side of the recess of the firingpin. Now, since the swinging of the lever 01' on its shaft causes the shoulder e to move downward as well as rearward, its engagement with the projection prevents the swinging of said lever d, so that should a cartridge hang fire or fail to explode and drive the firing-pin slightly to the rear the cocking-lever, which is moved by the lowering of the block and whose hooked or shouldered end engages in the firing-pin, cannot move, and it will therefore prevent the breechbeing opened until the firing-pin is drawn back by hand. Should, 110wever, the firing-pin be pressed back by the detonating cap, the rear surface of the shoulder e does not engage the projection b and the breech can be opened and the firing pin cooked in the usual manner by engagement of the lever-head with the forward end of the projection b on the firing-pin.

but are adapted for use in connection with percussive devices operated in any suitable manner. In these cases the lowering is controlled by causing the rod, bar, or other projection to engage or look some other part of the gun between which and said rod or bar there is relative movement during the opening of the breech.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show an arrangement in which is employed a plate-spring e fixed at its forward end in the breech-block and adapted to lie normally against the face of said block, but to engage with the upper end of the lowering crank-arm a when forced outward by the block it. The spring 6 has a head Z, which is fitted in a recess in the block and kept from turning by a flat face, which fits against the block. The lever is retained in its position in the recess by means of a vertical shaft 20, which passes through the block andlever with freedom of turning. The block h slides in a transverse recess in the breechblock and acts upon the spring 6 through the medium of a horn h, and it is provided at its inner end with a beveled shoulder, which is engaged by a correspondingly-beveled edge of the collar 1) on the firing-pin b when said firing-pin is in its projected position. When the firing-pin b is released and projected forward, it forces the block h, and through it the spring 6 outward, so that said spring e engages the block-lowering crank-shaft a and prevents movement of the same. When the firing-pin b is moved backward, the block h is released and the spring 6 resumes its normal position against the side of the breechblock by its own elasticity. Should the cartridge hang fire or fail to explode, the firingpin remains in engagement with block h and the spring 6 in front of the crank (It, so that the latter cannot be moved. Consequently the breech cannot be opened until the firingpin is drawn or pushed back by hand sufficiently to allow the bolt or catch h to slide in front of the collar b. v

In order that the block h may be pushed in by hand, I provide the spindle is with a suitable crank-handle g at its lower end and an arm or projection t, fixed just beneath the head of the spring-lever e and I provide a downwardly-extending pin m on the block h, with which the armt' engages. If the crankhandle g, which extends to the rear of the spindle, is moved inward, the arm 2' forces back the block 71. through the medium of the pin m and the spring 6 is permitted to resume its normal position. Should, however, the powder charge explode at the projecting of the firing-pin, the detonating cap will force back the firing-pin, with its collar 1), so that the bolt It will move in front thereof, and the spring 6 will not, therefore, interfere with the movement of the crank a and the breech is free to be opened. It is not absolutely necessary to place the collar 1) on the forward end of the firing-pin, as it may with more or less advantage be placed in any other position on the said firing-pin.

The above-described form of locking devic'emay be readily applied to a gun employing a firing-hammer.

Fig. 15, which is a View of a horizontal section just above the firing-hammer, represents such a use of the device. Here the firinghammer is provided with a collar 1)" and the the block h when the hammer is in itsprojected position. It is obvious that the operation of this device is similar to that shown by Figs. 4, 5, and 6.

Fig. 8- illustratesa much simpler arrangement or modification of the locking device above described. In this case the breechblock itself and not the crank is arrested or locked by the device 6. e represents abolt, which works in a perforation in the side of the breech-block and is adapted to be forced outward by the percussive device into all of the breech, so as to prevent relative movement between the breech-block and breech. The bolt has asprin g for projecting itinward when the firing-pin offers no resistance. The collar b on: the firing-pin and the bolt 6 have the corresponding beveled shoulders, which enable the pinto force the bolt outward, as hereinbefore described with reference to an alogous forms. Should the cartridge hang fire or miss fire, the-bolt e is, forced to enter the recessformedin the Wall of the breech by the collar 1) of the firing-pin b,and this prevents movement of the breech-block. Therefore before the breech can be opened the rod or catch e must be pushed back, and this operation is effected by means of a push-pin g, which projects through the side-of the breech and engages by its inner'end theouter end of the bolt. The bolt e may thus be moved inward, the firing-pin I) being forced back by the c'orres-pondinglybeveled shoulders on the said bolt and the collars b of the said firingpin; Should the cartridge explode and the detonating cap force back the firing-pin, the rod orcatch-e' will be disengaged from the wall of thebreech by its own spring.

Fig. 10 shows a modification wherein the principle. described with reference to Fig. 8 is applied to a gun having a firing-hammer. The hammer is presumed to be actuated by a suitable spring and is cocked in any suitable manner well known in' the art. The bolt e is engaged at its inner end by a cam b on the transverse shaft 12 of the firing-hammer and forced outward into a suitable recess in the breech when the hammer is at its forward limit, but is free to be forced slightly inward by its spring when the hammer is moved slightly rearward. Shouldthe cartridge hang fire, the cam 1), formed on the shaft of the fir ing-hammer, forces the bolt 6' into-the recess provided in the wall of the breech. If the i firing-hammer is slightly thrown back by the detonating cap, the cam 12 is moved away i from the bolt (2, which is then drawn out of the said recessby its spiral spring. The cam 31) and the front surface of the bolt (2 are form-ed with beveled surfaces, so that the latter can be pressed backward to unlock the ;breech-block. This is accomplished by a downwardly-extending arm g, by which the bolt can be pressed in and the firing-hammer caused to move slightly. beveled shoulder on said collar, whichengages In Fig. 9 a rocking lever 6 Working in a recess in the block to one side of the firing-pin, is made to engage in or is withdrawn from a recess in the rear of the breech. The lever'e is pivoted at e and provided with ears 6*,

; which are engaged by a projection e on the i the forward one of the two ears (2 and causes rear of the firing-pin. The lever is further provided with a pin e onits lower end, which engages in a suitable recess in the breech. WVhen the firing-pin is projected, it engages the pin e to enter the recess in the breech.

. Should the cartridge explode, the firin g-pin will 1 be driven backward sufficiently to disengage the pin 6 by engagement with the rear one of the two cars.

If the charge fails to explode, the pin will remain in the recess in the breech and the block cannot be lowered until the firing-pin is drawn back by hand. last-mentioned operation may be effected by i cocking the gun-as', forinstance, by drawing This back the pin 1) by the eye b, formed on its rear end.

Fig. 12 is a modification in which the lock- 1 ing rod or catch is replaced by a plate-spring e secured at e and resting normally across the transverse shaft 5 of the hammer. A cam 12 on the shaft b of the firing-hammer b 1 engages the spring e 'when the hammer'rises to the striking position.

The end 6 of the spring is upturned and is adapted to engage in a recess a in the crank-shaft a, that oper-- ates the breech-block. A lever g is operated by hand to disengage the end a by pressing through the medium of short arm g, which is formed integral with said lever, down upon the plate-spring 6 which in turn presses upon the cam b and causes the hammer to turn backward.

If the charge fails to ex- 1 plode, the hammer remains in such a position as to cause the spring e to engage in the I notch in the block-lowering crank. If, how- 5 ever, the charge explodes, the hammer falls It is not, however, necessary to describe any further modifications, as they are all similar in the main featurethat is to say, that the firing-pin or hammer, actuated by the recoil movement of the detonating cap, disengages a rod, catch, or spring or other locking device, such rod, catch, spring, or other locking device remaining operative if a cartridge hangs fire, and thereby preventing the opening of the breech.

Having thus described my invention, the following is What I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of the breech, the breech-block working on the breech, the percussive device, and a looking device for preventing the movement of the block, controlled by the percussive device, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a breech-loadinggun, the combination, with the breech and the breech-block, of the locking device carried by one and engaging in the other and the percussive device engaging the locking device when in its projected position, thereby causing the locking of the block, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the breech, the breech-block, the percussive device, the lowering mechanism, the crank-arm adapted to rotate with the movement of the block and engaging the percussive device to cook it, and means controlled by the percussive device for opposing the movement of the cocking-arm, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the firing-pin or other percussive device, the pin for retaining the percussive device in cocked position and also adapted to lock it when in contact with the cartridge, and the breech-lowering mechanism having working connection with the percussive device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a breech-loading gun, the combination, with the breech, breech-block, and lever for operating the breech-block, of the percuss ve device, the pin for retaining said percussive device, said pin being adapted to engage the percussive device when in contact with the cartridge, and a spring-arm engaging the lowering mechanism and controlled by the retaining-pin, for the purpose and in the manner explained.

6. In abreech-loading gun, the combination, with the breech-block, of the lowering mechanism engaging the breech-block and having an arm which engages the percussive device to cook it, said arm and percussive device having a corresponding hook and recess which engage to prevent the movement of the block until the percussive device is repelled by the force of explosion, substantially as explained.

7. In abreech-loading gun, the combination, with the breech and block, of a retainingpin engaging the block and controlled by the percussive device, whereby the block is pre vented from moving until the percussive device is repelled by the force of explosion, substantially as set forth.

8. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of the breech, the breech-block, and the device for locking the block in the breech, constructed and arranged to be unlocked by the recoil of the cap of the cartridge, substantially as shown and set forth.

CARL ROSTEL.

Witnesses:

JULIUS VON SoHiiTz, EMIL KALLNEOKER. 

